• Chinese authorities have decided to suspend trading on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

• This move comes as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak grows in size and severity.

• The government is kicking the can down the road. Investors can expect a massive correction when trading resumes next Monday.

China’s financial markets will remain shuttered until Feb. 3 due to coronavirus fears, according to separate announcements from the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges.

The move comes as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak grows in size and severity with many fearing it may lead to a global recession.

The Chinese government may be trying to delay panic selling until it can get the massive outbreak under control. But this strategy is unlikely to work because of the sheer impact the virus is already having on the nation’s economy. Investors can expect to see a large correction in the Chinese indices when (and if) trading resumes next Monday.

The impact of this crisis is sure to bleed into American markets and may trigger a stock market correction.

Photo - Chinese authorities have announced that stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen will remain closed until next Monday as fears over coronavirus continue to swirl. But it may not be enough to stop a selloff once markets reopen next week.| Image: shutterstock.com